From the Pandavas to Harihara, and then to the Wodeyars

By S.Bharath Kumar

MYSORE, SEPT. 23. The ball has been set rolling for the Dasara festivities with the assemblage of the golden throne on Friday.

This religious event, which marks the beginning of the festival fervour that concludes on Vijayadashami (October 8), has a history dating back to several centuries.

Apart from the State-sponsored Dasara festivities, the last scion of the Wodeyar dynasty, Mr. Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, continues to maintain the traditional link in the observance of religious chores as per the injunctions laid down in various texts, although in private.

The essence of the Dasara festival revolves around the concept of paying one's gratitude to the Almighty for showering his blessings in the past and also seeking his grace in the future.

Historical records reveal that after the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire, the Nayakas of Keladi and Ikkeri, and then the Wodeyars of Mysore have continued the traditional observance of the festival.

Even though the State Government has decided to observe the festival without pomp and gaiety in the wake of the kidnapping of the Kannada film icon, Mr. Rajkumar, by Veerappan, religious observances which are an integral part of the festival cannot be overlooked.

In reality, the process of putting together the golden throne marks the beginning of the "Naada Habba."

On Friday, the dismantled golden throne, which was kept in the strong room, was shifted to the resplendent Amba Vilas by specially authorised persons of the Lingayat community. Brought in a trolley, the seven components of the throne -- the main seat, the seven steps, the back rest, two arm rests, an umbrella and related accessories -- were carefully assembled at the auspicious time between 10.09 a.m. and 10.37 a.m. amidst chanting of Vedic hymns.

According to legend, the throne belonged to the Pandavas. Historical texts state that in 1338 the rajguru of the Vijayanagar Empire, Vidyaranya, helped Harihara I, one of the founders of the Vijayanagar Kingdom, to retrieve the throne, later used by subsequent rulers of the empire for more than a century.

In 1609, the ailing Governor, Srinaraya, handed over the throne to Raja Wodeyar before retiring to Talkadu. Raja Wodeyar ascended the throne in 1610 marking the commencement of observance of Dasara festivities in this part of the region.

The throne was recovered from a room in Tipu Sultan's palace at Srirangapatna after his fall. It was then used in the coronation of Raja Wodeyar III in 1799 and since then has remained with the Wodeyar family.

This bejewelled throne, originally made of the wood of a fig tree, is detailed in a Sanskrit work "Devatanama Kusumanjari", compiled by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in 1859. The balustrades of the steps of the throne are embellished with figurines, while the golden umbrella has a festoon and the four sides decorated with vylas and creepers. It has Lord Brahma to the south, Lord Maheshwara to the North and Lord Vishnu at the centre, forming the Trinity. To the four corners are the vylas and the four lions, two of the mythological Shardulas, two horses and swans in four corners.

It is the golden umbrella, featuring in as many as 24 slokas in Anusthuba, that is the cynosure of all eyes. An exquisite work of art, the golden throne, over the years, has undergone a few changes with its height raised and the number of steps leading to the "asana" increased. However, the throne has retained its original artistic decorative features.

The other thrones at the palace are the Mayura Bajrasana, where Goddess Chamundeshwari is seated, the Bajrasana, used primarily for Saraswathi pooja, and the Simha Bajrasana, generally used by the royal couple for ceremonies.

The palace priest, Sri S.Venkata Subramanya, the palace astrologer, four dharmadhikari and rutviks were present when the throne was assembled.

The religious component in this process involves performance of Ganapathi homa, Mruthunjaya homa, Vastu homa, Manusukta homa and the Navagrha homa. After all this, members of the Lingayat community from Gejjgagalli village assemble the throne as per the injunctions laid down in religious texts. On its completion, the rutviks perform the Kalasha proksha, formally completing the process of assemblage. However, it is only on the morning of September 28 that the lion would be fixed at the bottom of the throne, signalling that the throne is ready for conduct of religious observance by Mr. Wodeyar.

The throne, which has nearly 250 kg. of gold on it apart from precious stones embedded all around it, would be the centre of attraction during the conduct of the private durbar by Mr. Wodeyar from September 28. The throne is heavily guarded as it is prescribed in religious texts that the ruler of Mysore would continue to be the sole repository of the great traditions of the Vijayanagar dynasty.

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